Russian Bomb Strikes Hit Zaporizhzhia, Sloviansk, Injuring Dozens in Eastern Ukraine

Russian aerial bomb attacks struck residential areas in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, injuring at least 29 people and causing significant damage to apartment buildings and civilian infrastructure, according to Ukrainian regional officials.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, five guided bombs reportedly hit residential buildings and a medical facility, leaving 15 people injured, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said in a post on Telegram. Images shared by Fedorov showed apartment blocks with shattered windows, damaged facades, and debris scattered across nearby streets.

Zaporizhzhia has faced an increase in Russian attacks in recent months. The region is one of four Ukrainian territories that Russia declared annexed following its full-scale invasion in February 2022, although Ukraine continues to control substantial parts of the region.

Further east, in Sloviansk in Ukraine's Donetsk region, two aerial bombs reportedly struck residential neighborhoods, injuring 14 people, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin. The attacks also damaged seven apartment buildings. Photographs released by local authorities showed one residential building with an entire section collapsed, highlighting the scale of the destruction.

Sloviansk remains one of Ukraine's key defensive strongholds in the Donetsk region, an area that has been the focus of intense fighting throughout the war. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted cities across the region as they seek to expand territorial control.

Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the reports from Ukrainian officials.

The latest strikes come as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues into its fifth year, with regular missile, drone, and aerial bomb attacks affecting communities across the front lines.

Both Russia and Ukraine have consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians during the war, despite repeated reports of residential areas suffering damage and civilian casualties from ongoing military operations. The attacks underscore the continued humanitarian toll of the conflict as fighting persists across multiple regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.